The Virgin and Child

mid 16th century

Italian 16th Century

Associated Names
The sculpture depicts a woman holding a child, with both figures facing each other. The woman appears to be gazing affectionately at the child, who is sitting in her lap. The sculpture is crafted from bronze and has a muted brown color with a smooth texture. It is circular with a decorative border featuring floral motifs. The rounded form of the sculpture and the detailed depictions of the figures suggest a small, medallion-like object. The details in the sculpture include the woman's draped clothing and the child's curly hair.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Light brown patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (oval): 4.7 x 4.1 cm (1 7/8 x 1 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.544


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Gustave Dreyfus [1837-1914], Paris; his estate; purchased 1930 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); purchased 1945 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York; gift 1957 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1931

  • Ricci, Seymour de. The Gustave Dreyfus Collection. Reliefs and Plaquettes. Oxford, 1931. vol.II, 410.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: no. 390.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 181, no. 23.

Wikidata ID

Q63814895

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